Collect

Register and Use Sources

A Source is a legacy system from where a copy of data is downloaded and stored in Collect.

Registering and using Sources includes the following actions:

Register Sources to Target

Data can be pulled from multiple sources to a single target; therefore, multiple sources can be registered to a Target.

To register a source to a target: 

  1. Click Targets in Navigation pane.
  2. Click Sources for Target.
  3. Click Add.

    View the field descriptions for the Target Sources page

  4. Select a database name from SOURCE list box. The source database must be different from the target database.
  5. Update CONNECTION TYPE list box if the default value is not applicable.

    NOTE: The CONNECTION TYPE is a valid database connection type from source to target.

  6. Select a System Type from SYSTEM TYPE ID list box if importing group tables from a System Type delivered with Common.

    NOTE: Click the + icon to open the System Types page in Common in a new tab to add a System Type, if needed.

  7. Update SCHEMA OWNER field if the default value is not applicable.

    NOTE: The SCHEMA OWNER controls the schema of the source database that contains the tables. The Schema Owner for a source cannot be the same as the Schema Owner for an associated target.

  8. Click Save; the Vertical View displays.

    View the field descriptions for the Target Sources page's Vertical View

  9. Enter a brief description of the Source in Description field, e.g., DBA or Business Contact information.
  10. Click Advanced Settings tab.
  11. Enter the table name of the renamed table in the target database in the Rename Table Template field, if tables must be renamed when copied to the target.

    NOTE: The Rename Table Template field allows the user to rename a table in the target database when the target is refreshed with source data as long as the Table Rename field is not populated. If the Table Rename field is populated, the Rename Table Template has no effect.

    NOTE: The Rename Table Template field must contain the value <TableName> and any prefix or suffix can be used. When the table is downloaded from the source, <TableName> is replaced with the Table value from the Tables page in Collect. If the table has been previously created, check the Delete Target Table On Build check box on the Vertical View of the Target Sources page to recreate the table using the new name.

  12. Update Schedule ID list box if the default value is not applicable.

    NOTE: The Schedule ID determines when the refresh process is run. Schedules are created and maintained in Common. Refer to Create Schedules for detailed information.

  13. Click Download Keys Indices check box to activate it, allowing Collect to download primary key indices from non-SAP source system.

    NOTE: If Download Keys Indices is enabled, Download SQL (Configuration > Connection Types > Sources) must be defined for the database connection type.

  14. Click Delete Target Table on Build check box to activate it, which deletes all previously downloaded tables (and primary keys and indices) and rebuilds the table each time a package is built.

    NOTE: The Delete Target Table on Build setting ensures the most recent table schema is downloaded.

  15. Select a database connection type from Data Services Connection Type list box to connect to the source database if using SAP Data Services. Values are:
  • AES15

  • DB2 UDBv8

  • DB2 UDBv9

  • Informix v10

  • Informix v11

  • MySQL v5.0

  • MySQL v5.1

  • ODBC

  • Oracle10g

  • Oracle 11g

  • Oracle9i

  • SQL2000

  • SQL2005

  • SQL2008

NOTE: The Data Services Connection Type list box displays Data Sources supported via the Stewardship Tier’s integration with Data Services. If the source connects to SAP Data Services, populate the Connection Settings. Refer to Configure Source for SAP Data Services for detailed information.

  1. Click Sap Settings tab if SAP is the target database. If SAP is not the target database, these fields can remain blank.

    NOTE: With the SAP Settings fields populated, Collect recognizes that the connecting system is SAP. If the actual value is unknown, populate these fields with dummy values for the time being (e.g., “NA”). Be sure to update these values before Go-Live.

  2. Enter an ID in SAP User ID field.
  3. Enter the password that corresponds to the User ID in SAP Password field.
  4. Enter name of client within the SAP instance in Client field.

    NOTE: The information in this field is used to filter the data downloaded from the source. The filter runs against the MANDT column.

  5. Click the All Clients check box to activate it, if more than one SAP client is required. If enabled, data is downloaded for all clients in the SAP instance.
  6. Click Remove Client From Key check box to activate it, which builds the Client field (usually MANDT). This feature can only be used if one client is being downloaded (i.e., if All Clients is disabled).
  7. Enter a three-character SAP instance used in the source refresh in Instance field.
  8. Enter the default language in Language field, e.g., E for English.
  9. Enter system number used to log into SAP in SAP System Number field so Pool Table data can be refreshed.

NOTE: The information in this field is used to filter the data downloaded from the source. The filter runs against the MANDT column.

NOTE: The SAP System Number is located on SAP GUI Change Item screen in SAP so Pool Table data can be refreshed.

  1. Enter server host name in SAP Server Host field.

    NOTE: SAP Server Host is located on SAP GUI Change Item screen in SAP.

  2. Update RFC Name Space Option list box if default value is not applicable. Values are:

    NAMESPACE"

    NONNAMESPACE

  3. Enter the server host name in SAP Msg Server Host if SAP Load Balancing is used to download SAP table via RFC.

    NOTE: If Load Balancing is not used, enter a single space. SAP Msg Server Host is located on the SAP GUI.

  4. Enter logon group name in SAP Logon Group if SAP Load Balancing is used to download SAP table via RFC.

    NOTE: If Load Balancing is not used, enter a single space. SAP Logon Group is located on the SAP GUI.

  5. Click Save.

    NOTE: If the source database is not SAP, close the Vertical View and continue with Test Source Connection.

  6. Click Sap Settings tab to test the SAP connection.
  7. Click Test Sap Connection to use the provided User ID and Password to verify the login credentials are valid. This process does not verify the user has security to the source tables within SAP.

Continue with Configure Source for SAP Data Services.

Configure Source for SAP Data Services

If SAP Data Services are being used, specific connection information used by SAP Data Services must be configured at the Target Source level. This connection is then tested to ensure that Data Services can connect to the Source and Target instances.

To configure a source for SAP Data Services:

  1. Click Targets in the Navigation pane.
  2. Click the Sources icon for the Target.
  3. Click Vertical View for the Source.
  4. Click the Advanced Settings tab.
  5. Click Edit.

    View the field descriptions for the Target Sources page's Vertical View

  6. Select the name of the target source repository from the Data Services ID list box.

    NOTE: If this field is blank, the repository set at the target level is used. Consider creating and registering an additional repository for separate target sources to minimize the chance of overloading the communication between Collect and Data Services.

  7. Select a database connection type from the Data Services Connection Type list box to connect to the source database if using SAP Data Services.

    NOTE: Refer to SAP documentation for details about the types of Data Services connections.

    NOTE: If the Data Services Connection Type is SAP Application for a Target Source, the Test Connection icon is disabled on the Target Sources page Horizontal View for that Target Source. Connections to SAP can only be made through Data Services or RFC.

  8. Click Save.
  9. If using change data capture jobs with Syniti Data Replication or Data Services, click the Do Not Delete Data check box to disable it.

  10. Verify the Data Services settings have been configured for the Target and Source on the Advanced Settings tab of the Target Sources page's Vertical View.

    NOTE: Once Data Services settings have been configured for the SAP Data Services, packages can be registered for tables, and packages can be built and refreshed.

Continue with Test Source Connection.

Test Source Connection

Test the Data Source connection to verify the database User ID and Password login  credentials are connected to the source database.

NOTE: The Test Connection feature does not test the validity of the SAP login credentials or the DSN connection options.

To test the source database connection in Collect

  1. Click the Targets icon in the Navigation pane.
  2. Click the Sources icon for a Target.
  3. Select the Source.
  4. Click the Test Connection icon on the Page toolbar to test the connectivity to the source database; a confirmation message displays.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click the Vertical View icon to review the connection metrics.
    • Test Connection Status – Displays status of the last test connection.
    • Test Connection On – Displays last date time of test connection.
  7. Continue with Register Tables.

Register Tables

Once the source is set up, register tables. There are two ways to register tables to a source:

  • Import a Group Table – Used to import System Type tables delivered with Common. This method facilitates the process of registering tables by importing content delivered with Common into Collect.

  • Manually – Used if the source is not a System Type delivered with Common.

Refer to Register Tables to Source for detailed information about this step.

Continue with Build Package for Source.

Build Package for Source

Building a package for a source includes all active tables included in the source.

To build a package for a source:

  1. Verify all tables for the source are active.
  2. Verify a package name is listed for all active tables for the source.

    NOTE: If the package name does not display in the list box, confirm that the package has been named following naming conventions. Refer to Create Packages for more information.

  3. Click Targets in Navigation pane.
  4. Click Source for Target. 
  5. Select the Source.
  6. Click Build And Refresh on Page toolbar for Source to build package and download tables from source; a confirmation message displays. 
  7. Click Ok.

NOTE: If the package name already exists for the table record, the table is refreshed (i.e., data is downloaded from the source database). If the package for the table does not exist, a package is immediately scheduled to be built and the table is refreshed. The Refresh icon is disabled for DBMotoMirror package type because the refresh is run by Syniti Data Replication instead of Collect.

NOTE: To receive a workflow email that a table download has failed in Collect, a user must be assigned to a security role that has the Collect WebApp group WorkFlowFailureAll or WorkFlowFaiureByTargetAccess assigned. Refer to Set Security in System Administration for more information.

Continue with View Source Table Metrics.

View Source Table Metrics

View monthly, weekly and daily metrics for the number of tables downloaded for a source.

To view sources metrics:

  1. Click Targets in Navigation pane.
  2. Click Sources for Target.
  3. Click Metrics for Source.
  4. Click Metrics to view monthly, weekly or daily metrics; a graph plotting the metrics display

View Summary of Source Metrics

A series of charts are available that display monthly, weekly and daily metrics for the Target Source.

To view a summary of source metrics:

  1. Click Targets in Navigation pane.
  2. Click Sources for a target.
  3. Click Metrics for a Target Source.

View the field descriptions for the Target Source Metrics Charts page